This invention relates to a sheet handling apparatus.
An apparatus in accordance with the invention could be used, for example, as part of an apparatus for loading currency notes into a currency cassette.
Currency cassettes are used in automated teller machines (ATMs) of the kind wherein a user inserts a customer identifying card into the machine and then enters certain data (such as a personal identification number, quantity of currency required or to be paid in, type of transaction, etc.) upon one or more keyboards associated with the machine. The machine will then process the transaction, update the user's account to reflect the current transaction, dispense cash, when requested, extracted from one or more currency cassettes mounted in the machine, and return the card to the user as part of a routine operation. It is common for an ATM to dispense currency notes of at least two different denominations, in which case the ATM will normally include a separate currency cassette for notes of each particular denomination.
The manual loading of currency notes into a cassette can be tedious and time-consuming. Accordingly, the need exists for a means for facilitating or automating the loading of currency cassettes. From British Patent Application No. GB-A-2198122 there is known an apparatus for automatically loading notes into a currency cassette. One embodiment of such apparatus includes a carriage which is reciprocally movable between a stacking position remote from the cassette and a loading position adjacent an open end of the cassette. In operation, a stack of notes is formed on the carriage at the stacking position and carried by the carriage to the loading position. During a return movement of the carriage to the stacking position this stack is laid down into the open end of the cassette.
It is important for the correct operation of the cash dispensing mechanism of an ATM that the currency notes contained in the or each currency cassette mounted in the ATM are of a suitable condition for handling by the cash dispensing mechanism. For example, if currency notes contained in a currency cassette are torn or have foreign matter such as adhesive tape or staples attached to them, then there is a risk that such notes may become jammed in the associated cash dispensing mechanism. Thus, care must be taken when loading currency cassettes that unsuitable notes should be excluded. If notes are to be loaded into a currency cassette from a stack of unscreened notes, it is important that, prior to loading, the notes pass through a separating mechanism from which the notes are fed singly through an appropriate screening system. The aforementioned document GB-A-2198122 does not disclose any mechanism for separating notes from a stack so as to bring about feeding of the notes in single manner.
From U.S. Pat. No. 4,269,405, there is known a sheet separating mechanism including a rotating feed drum having suction openings associated with friction rings which together serve to pull the lowermost sheet of a stack of sheets to a position where the lowermost sheet is engaged by sheet transport means. The mechanism also includes a keeping back roller associated with, and rotating in an opposed manner with respect to, the feed drum for ensuring that only one sheet at a time is fed to the transport means. A problem experienced with sheet separating mechanisms of this kind in which keeping back or feed restraining means are associated with sheet feeding means is that from time to time the feed restraining means may overcome the feeding action of the feeding means and thereby cause an interruption in the feeding of sheets to subsequent sheet transport means.